


Like We Were Never Here

by StefiDelly



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 06:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StefiDelly/pseuds/StefiDelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby gets tired of Storybrooke shenanigans and convinces Belle/Lacey to run away with her (she doesn’t like her FTL memories anyway) - as prompted by <a href="http://witchpieceoftoast.tumblr.com">witchpieceoftoast</a> on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like We Were Never Here

**Author's Note:**

> this is just a reuploaded piece from my [tumblr ](http://thestefidelly.tumblr.com/post/51484076397/witchpieceoftoast-answered-ruby-gets-tired-of) with probably just a couple of very mild edits

As much as she tried not to dwell on it, Ruby couldn’t help it. The thoughts and images and memories plagued her day to day, hour by hour, incessantly until her only escape was to drown herself in the numbing blanket of alcohol in the Rabbit Hole.

It was the only thing she looked forward to anymore.

Working at the diner became a living hell, a special circle in that bizarre Inferno book Ruby once tried to read in Belle’s- in  _the_  library. It wasn’t Belle’s library anymore because Belle didn’t  _exist_  anymore. That person walking around in a strikingly similar body had no other similarities to offer. They didn’t walk the same, didn’t dress the same, didn’t act the same, didn’t even  _talk_  the same.

The accent was still there, admittedly. But it was different now. The words and phrases and sentences that made up Belle’s patterns of speech were gone. There were no references to one book or another that Ruby might never have heard of (or even be able to pronounce). There was no thrilled rise in pitch at seemingly mundane things like pancakes and iced tea.

 _There was no Belle._   

And that’s what made working at the diner so painful. Every minute of every hour of every fucking day, Ruby would see (if not pass by) that particular booth Belle always occupied, either to try a dish still completely alien to her or to read a book while downing a couple of pitchers of iced tea.

It still stung to see other people take that spot.

And it hurt like a silver-tipped arrow when Gold and Belle- Gold and  _Lacey_  took their seats there.

And why was Ruby even still thinking about this? The usual remedy wasn’t strong enough.

"Another shot." Ruby’s demand wasn’t unusual anymore. At first, the frequent patrons of the Rabbit Hole questioned her return after being gone for so long, even teased her about missing her. A warning glare and a light reminder that she was a wolf stopped them in their tracks and now they just steered clear.

The use of her wolf as a threat  _did_  turn Ruby’s stomach and fill her with the nauseating combination of shame and guilt. But a bottle or a glass or a shot or whatever she was in the mood for on that particular evening would work its magic and the guilt would be gone.

"If you smiled a bit more, they wouldn’t be as keen to avoid you as they are now."

The voice behind her made Ruby stiffen. There was a small part of her that still twitched with the hope that it might be Belle, but that part was getting smaller and smaller and why was Ruby even still thinking about that? Why was it still in her head? 

"Don’t you have a rich old man to make out with?" The words were supposed to be harsh and bitter and an outlet for all her resentment. Instead, they just came out slurred and barely intelligible. 

Belle- come on, Belle isn’t like this at all-  _Lacey_  shrugged and took the shot glass before Ruby could reach for it. “I got bored."

"And what do you expect me to do about that?"

Keeping the glass out of Ruby’s reach, Lacey drew closer until their faces were close and well past any distance Belle might have maintained on account of her ties with Gold. " _Entertain_ me."

The alcohol was already making Ruby’s head swim and she didn’t need  _this_  to shorten her breath and send her stomach tangling into itself. “Why would I ever want to do that?" Again, an attempt to drive Lacey back, but Ruby was vaguely aware that her flushed cheeks and shortened breath were already giving her away.

"I’m not blind to the way you stare." Lacey’s voice lowered to almost a purr. Her lips were so close, Ruby could feel the puffs of air accompanying the words. “You watch us. When we go to the diner. You watch as closely, even. Might I ask why?"

Unable to form an intelligent response, Ruby turned her face away and sidestepped Lacey to get to the shot that was still waiting. The way this damn evening was turning out, Ruby was going to need all she could get. To hell with the inevitable hangover plus disapproving lectures from Granny coming in the morning.

Ruby had just managed to drink up before hands grasped at the collar of her jacket and turned her around, pulling her downwards and before she could process what was happening, lips were pressed hard against hers. It tasted of unrecognizable lipstick and cheap wine and a bit of vodka and a surge of something that just sent Ruby throwing away inhibitions. The cheers and whoops from most of the men at the Rabbit Hole sounded dull and distant in Ruby’s ears.

By the time they broke apart, Ruby was breathless and dizzy while Lacey, looking still as collected and in control as before, leaned back casually and eyed Ruby with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a different glass found its way into Ruby’s hands. The warm liquid burned as it hit her throat. She identified it as some whiskey and relished the heavy blanket wrapping itself around her head and tightening until her thoughts became broken and scattered and so much better than the swirling pools of regret and grief.

Lacey said something in a teasing, playful tone. Ruby didn’t quite catch it and instead leaned forward, words tumbling out of her mouth again. “What was it like?”

That caught Lacey off-guard. For a moment, a flicker of surprise and confusion went through her normally controlled features. “What was what like?”

“Crossing the town line.” Ruby blinked, trying to maintain some semblance of focus on the world around her, but it was hazy, like looking at something underwater. “What was it like?”

“Painful because I was  _shot_  when it happened.” There was an edge to Belle-  _Lacey’s_  tone. The change in her expression from amused and relaxed to tense and guarded should have been a warning, but Ruby pressed on.

“You don’t remember anything, do you?” Ruby kept going despite the narrowing of Lacey’s eyes or the thinning line of her mouth. “You don’t remember anything about Belle or Rumplestiltskin or  _me_  or…” With excitement bubbling up inside her for reasons even she couldn’t quite comprehend, Ruby ended her long-running question with “…or  _anything_ , right?”

The loaded questions were getting Lacey all wound up. Another glass was placed between them and it was Lacey who reached for it first and emptied it of its contents, “All I remember is that  _I_  am  _Lacey_.” She curled her lip, “And Rumplestiltskin is some childhood fairytale. What are you going on about?”

“And it’s liberating, isn’t it?” Ruby could distantly remember the late nights spent right here, dancing to music or playing pool or hooking up with whoever seemed most interesting. It seemed to be worlds away and if she could just forget all this heaviness, she would be able to get back into that easy, carefree life. It was free of responsibilities and sadness and there would be none of this grief over a woman who was never even hers to begin with anyway. “It’s all fun and drinks, eh?”

Lacey had another drink to relax the tension that had set in a moment ago. “It is, I suppose.”

“Let’s go there.” Ruby said, “Let’s go there now. The town line, c’mon.” She fumbled in her bag and managed to produce her keys.

That got a laugh out of Lacey. “Are you serious?”

The serious expression Ruby tried to show in response might have been tampered by the unsteadiness to her legs and her eyes’ general inability to really focus on anything right now.

“ _Why_?” Lacey’s brow was raised again, but she seemed to be showing guarded interest. That, or Ruby was just seeing what she wanted to see.

“Let’s cross it together.” Ruby took a step towards Lacey, “Let’s just get out of here.” Calling forth the faint traces of her old self, before this curse nonsense returned her memories as Red, Ruby brought her lips close to Lacey’s face and whispered into her ear. “There are cities out there with better bars and better drinks and better  _people_.”

The wobbly way Lacey moved hinted that she might just be nearing the same level as Ruby in terms of letting go of inhibitions and  _everything_. “I hear they’re more fun than this slow shit hole.”

Grinning at the way Lacey was showing interest, Ruby drew strength from the numbing blanket around her head and said, “We can be anywhere else and it would be better than here.”

“And Mr. Gold wouldn’t be around to watch me with that irritatingly heartbroken face every time I walk by.” Lacey added.

“There’ll be none of that.” Ruby agreed, “And there’ll be no Whale or Billy or Keith or any of  _them_.” Stirred up by the excitement of the idea, Ruby could only manage a vague gesture in the direction of the guys she mentioned. “Emma said she came from Boston. I wanna go there.”

“Gold mentioned New York.” Lacey was smirking and leaning into Ruby now. “It sounded exciting.”

“We’re leaving tonight.” Giggles burst out of Ruby when she felt a tug at her collar. Lacey pulled Ruby in for another kiss, keeping a firm grip on her jacket until they broke apart again. “It’ll be like we were never here.”

After one last round of drinks, they staggered into Ruby’s car and charged straight towards the town line, towards the real remedy, the real fix to this mess, the chance to finally go back to when nothing hurt anywhere near as much as it did now.

Just like Belle was gone, the bits and pieces of Red that took over Ruby were going to be gone and the  _real_  Ruby would be back in control.

This was the answer and it was going to work.


End file.
